Written Answers

Monday 9 July 2001

Scottish Executive

Community Care

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive why the number of people receiving home care services delivered by local authorities has reduced by 13,246 from 1997 to 2000, as identified in the report by the Accounts Commission, Overview of the 1999-2000 Local Authority Audits.

Malcolm Chisholm: This is indicative of a change in the pattern of home care services through the period and of a shift toward increasing the proportion of clients requiring more intensive levels of care at home. We are continuing to prioritise home care services and have provided councils with additional resources to extend and improve the home care provision in their areas. The increases in resources for community care of £90 million, £135 million and £195 million in this and each of the next two years respectively will involve major additional investment in home care services.

Health

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what contribution it made in (a) 1999-2000 and (b) 2000-01 and will make in 2001-02 to the funding of research into the treatment of Alzheimer’s and other dementia illnesses.

Susan Deacon: Within the Scottish Executive Health Department, the Chief Scientist Office (CSO) has responsibility for encouraging and supporting research into health services and patient care within the NHS in Scotland and, as such, is the main Departmental funder of NHS-related research. CSO spent £46,021   on research into the treatment of dementia in 1999-2000, £110,677 in 2000-2001 and expects to spend £210,683 in 2001-2002. There was no expenditure by CSO on research into the treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease   in 1999-2000 and 2000-2001 but CSO expects to spend £3,200 in 2001-2002.

  CSO would be pleased to consider funding further research proposals into the treatment of Alzheimer’s and other dementia illnesses which would be subject to the usual peer group and committee review.

Health

Mr Jamie Stone (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will report on the issues considered at the recent Health Council attended by the Minister for Health and Community Care.

Susan Deacon: I represented the UK at the Health Council in Luxembourg on 5 June. It was a productive meeting. There follows a summary of the main items considered.

  Council reached political agreement to adopt unanimously a common position on the six year framework programme on public health, which will replace the existing eight individual programmes. A compromise was reached over the budget level at 280 meuros, which will be the basis of negotiation with the European Parliament, whose previous position has been for a higher figure. On the mechanism for co-ordinating health monitoring and rapid reaction to health threats, Council agreed to the use of term ‘structural arrangements’ instead of ‘structure’ as the Commission had still to put forward their proposals on this point. Agreement was also reached on including rare diseases within the scope of the programme.

  Council agreed a Recommendation on drinking of alcohol by young people. The Recommendation proposes education and information and self-regulation of promotion, marketing and retailing to reduce alcohol misuse by children and adolescents. Council also adopted Conclusions inviting the Commission to put forward proposals for a Community strategy on alcohol, which would complement national policies. The majority of member states highlighted the need for Community action on gathering and disseminating data and information. The UK warned of the need to focus on alcohol-related harm rather than consumption per se and that any action should be proportionate and respect subsidiarity principles.

  Commissioner Byrne presented revised proposals for a tobacco advertising Directive, which would ban tobacco advertising in the press, publications, radio, Internet and sponsorship (including free distribution) with a cross-border element. He stressed the compatibility of these proposals with the ECJ judgement striking down the previous tobacco advertising Directive.

  The Commission gave an oral update on the epidemiological situation of vCJD and on developments in research, surveillance and information exchange at Community level. The UK provided information on progress in developing support for vCJD patients, measures to protect against person to person transmission (e.g. single-use instruments for tonsil surgery) and tenders for research into diagnostic tests for vCJD and BSE. Council adopted Conclusions, which call on Member States to build on existing work on surveillance and prevention for all Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies as they affect human health.

  A series of information items reports were received on health in other policies and the health dimension of the Northern Dimension Action Plan. There were calls for a second health Council in each Presidency and information provided on a hospital partnership approach to the treatment of HIV/AIDS victims.

Historic Scotland

Mr Kenneth Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish the key performance targets it has set Historic Scotland for 2001-02.

Allan Wilson: I have set Historic Scotland the following key performance targets for 2001-02:-

  



Key 
  Performance Area 


Target 
  




Protecting 
  Scotland’s Built Heritage




Number 
  of monuments scheduled 
  

200 
  



Weighted 
  number of listed building resurvey units 
  

150 
  



No 
  of weeks in which 80% of Scheduled Monument Consent cases 
  resolved 
  

9 
  



Percentage 
  of Listed Building Consent cases resolved within 28 days 
  

97 
  



Number 
  of condition surveys completed for properties in care 
  

65 
  



Promoting 
  and Presenting the Built Heritage




HS 
  market share compared to other paid visitor attractions 
  in Scotland* (%) 
  

54.50 
  



Percentage 
  of satisfied visitors (survey based) (%) 
  

96 
  



Average 
  retail spend per visitor (£) 
  

2.05 
  



Agency 
  Management




Percentage 
  efficiency gains/savings on non-grant expenditure 
  

1.25 
  




  * The Agency’s top ten properties will be measured against the National Trust for Scotland’s top 10 properties and the top 10 privately-owned historic attractions.